1. Technical Field
This invention relates to a vehicle utility ramp, and more particularly, to a vehicle utility ramp that can be stored and used as a vehicle running board when not in use as a utility ramp.
2. Description of Related Art
Utility vehicle, SUV, and pickup truck owners commonly transport machinery such as ATVs, motorcycles, snowmobiles, lawn mowers, and riding/garden tractors and material such as cable spools or large appliances such as refrigerators, couches, and stoves. Transportation of these items often involves loading the machinery or material onto the vehicle. In order to accommodate the loading, utility ramps have been developed to help raise the machinery or material into the vehicle. While the related art has attempted to address the issue of compact storage and portability of these utility ramps, it has failed to teach a storage method that is in itself useful, convenient and safe to the vehicle owner and any other persons or objects that may come in contact with the vehicle.
The related art systems have attempted to address these problems with varying success. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,645,394, issued to William Hays discloses an invention having an overlapping hinge feature. The hinge feature allows for compact storage through nesting of the ramp sections. However, Hays is deficient in that it does not disclose or suggest a safe, convenient and useful storage method and latching mechanism to store and convert the utility ramp into a vehicle running board.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,185,775, issued to Michael D. McCarthy discloses a portable ramp for providing a bridge between surfaces of different elevations. However, McCarthy is deficient in that it does not disclose or suggest a safe, convenient and useful support method and latching mechanism on a vehicle side for use of the utility ramp as a vehicle running board.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,520,523, issued to Bradley L. Beck discloses a removable running board for a vehicle that includes a quick-release mechanism for disengaging the running board from the vehicle. However, unlike the present invention, Beck is deficient in that, Beck does not disclose or suggest a safe, convenient and useful step that can securely support the utility ramp when the utility ramp is placed on the step.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,592,135, issued to Theron V. Hendrix discloses a removable running board for a vehicle that includes mounting the running board on front and rear mounting brackets secured to a lower central side portion of a vehicle, and a releasable lock means disclosed as a screw and nut assembly for disengaging the running board from the vehicle. However in Hendrix, the mounting brackets are horizontal projections away from the vehicle that are not useful for anything when the running board is removed. Therefore, Hendrix does not disclose or suggest a safe, convenient and useful step that can securely support the utility ramp when the utility ramp is placed on the step.
Related art systems suffer from the limitation that they do not have a useable step affixed to the side of a vehicle when the utility ramp is detached from the vehicle side.
What is needed is a utility ramp and running board system that possesses features providing safety, convenience, and utility both when the utility ramp is stored on the vehicle, and when the utility ramp is removed from the vehicle. It would be beneficial if the system had a step affixed to the vehicle that supports the utility ramp when the ramp is latched to the step.